My Wedding Planning Story: The Proposal

Yep, I’m engaged! I feel pretty lucky to have shared so many heartfelt wedding stories before becoming a bride myself, and now I’m incredibly excited to write my own! Here’s how the proposal went down…

M and I have been together seven years and actually found the ring a year before we got engaged! We’re usually a ‘head first, heart second’ kind of couple for the big decisions, but when the spotlight hit that sparkler during some casual window shopping, M saw my eyes light up and encouraged me to try it on. It definitely felt like a Cinderella’s glass slipper moment and we walked away with a secret that day.

I’m sure you’re wondering how he popped the question! When it comes to my story, there are two versions – one where I’m whisked away to a 17th century castle just outside of Paris, and as the sun sets to reveal the glow of hundreds of candles, he drops to one knee right before a spectacular fireworks display.

The other is where we feel a little let down by some of the experiences we’d organised for the day and have our first tic-tac-toe of the trip. (If there was such a thing as marriage boot camp, navigating foreign countries would surely be one of the exercises – right next to assembling IKEA furniture!)

Both of these versions are true, and while it’s easy to default to the more edited one, I wanted to share the other side with you too. Because proposals are often perfectly imperfect…and that’s okay!

In fact, some of the most memorable stories are the ones where things don’t quite go to plan – like the unsolvable scavenger hunt and picnic spot saga (seriously, go read those hilarious recounts from our featured brides). Hiccups can happen even during a proposal, but that doesn’t make the gesture any less special.

Now we’re on to the next chapter – figuring out what kind of party we’re going to throw to make this thing official! First, we need the perfect space – here’s how we chose our wedding venue.